The Comenius programme is a European Union educational project. It aims to help young people and teachers to understand European cultures, languages and values and work together on joint projects. As a part of this programme, the Bisbe Berenguer Secondary School has taken part in several multilateral projects involving different schools from different European countries. In the developed projects, we focus on themes broadly linked to the students’ curriculum and interests, and other questions of school management, teaching techniques and methodologies.
As a result of these programmes, we have also done a series of reciprocal exchanges for students for the last ten years with other students and schools from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.
Last May 15th, three of our 4th of ESO students and two teachers travelled to Belgium for five days to a meeting with other teachers and students from Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Poland, the Netherlands and Germany. There, we took part in different leisure activities, held a day-long meeting to talk about the current project on health at school, attended the students’ presentations of their surveys on health and, on the whole, had a lot of fun and enjoy each others’ company.
The following paragraphs are a diary written by Daniela, Laia and Marina explaining their experience those days, what they did and how they felt:
First day
We arrived in Belgium in the afternoon and we went to Kappelle-op-den-bos by train. The families were waiting for us there and we spent the rest of the day with them. For example, Marina visited Brussels, the Belgian capital, and Laia and Daniela walked around the green, beautiful village.
Second day
We went to Gent. We were supposed to go to the medicine museum but we didn’t find it. So we went sightseeing and visited the city and its castle, called Gravensteen. In the evening, Daniela and Laia went to Brussels with their host families, and Marina cycled around the town.
Third day
We went to the school and we played some sport games as Big Bertha and Baseball in its huge field and playground.
In the afternoon, we did a presentation explaining to the other countries what we do about health in our school.
Finally, in the evening, we went out with the students who took part in the Comenius project.
Fourth day
We went to Durbuy in the Ardennes forests in the South of Belgium. We did rappelling, zip-line and kayak because we took part in a series of outdoor adventure activities. It was an amazing and funny experience!!
Fifth day
Unfortunately, we had to come back to Barcelona. That day we remembered the good friends we had made in the Comenius Project. Everybody was amusing and nice, and we will always remember them! We encourage all the people to take part in the next exchanges!
Daniela, Laia and Marina